Great Canal Journeys

Timothy West and Prunella Scales explore the historic Lancaster Canal, taking in its scenery. During the trip, Prunella revisits Near Sawrey, the Lakeland village where her family lived throughout the Second World War. The programme follows their journey along the waterway, linking personal history with the region’s landscape.

The episode is part of the Lancaster Canal programme, presented as a single instalment in the series. It features veteran actors Timothy West and Prunella Scales, who guide viewers along the waterway and share their observations as they travel. During the film, the pair follow the canal’s route, with Prunella Scales—often referred to as “Pru”—making a personal stop in the Lakeland village of Near Sawrey. This is the place where her family was based throughout the Second World War, and the visit gives her a chance to walk the streets and surroundings that shaped her wartime childhood. The journey showcases the tranquil scenery that lines the Lancaster Canal, from its gentle bends to the rolling countryside that frames the village. Near Sawrey, with its stone cottages and historic lanes, provides a vivid backdrop that contrasts the calm present with the upheaval of the 1940s. Together, West and Scales move between the canal’s modern charm and the nostalgic recollections that Pru brings back from her family’s wartime home. Their interaction adds a personal dimension to the exploration, linking the historic waterway with a lived memory of a pivotal period in British history.